All publications herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
In a trade show or convention setting, it is often the case that the most eye-catching display will garner the most interest among the attendees. To help distinguish their exhibit from exhibits of their competitors and thereby achieve maximum attendee traffic, exhibitors typically desire to use a display system that creates maximum impact and visual appeal. At the same time, exhibitors must often transport their display systems from place to place for various trade shows or other exhibits, and have only minimal labor available to set up and break down the display for each use. It is particularly convenient and advantageous if a display system is constructed such that it can be shipped by a door-to-door express freight service, such as United Parcel Service, Federal Express, and the like. This enables the exhibitor staff to travel without having to carry boxes, crates, or other containers for display material, and no special arrangements are required for shipping the display system to the next venue.
Numerous patents have issued in the United States for advertising and display systems. However, many of them consist of straight sections that interlock to form square or rectangular display surfaces. For example, Downing, U.S. Pat. No. 3,113,392 (“Downing”), discloses a “knock down display” for trade shows and demonstrates several shortcomings common to the prior art.
Downing describes a finished display that is flat in both vertical and horizontal axes, and therefore is not particularly eye-catching. In addition, the display system comprises a multitude of components which must be assembled to create subassemblies, and then these subassemblies must be mounted together to create a large display surface. Finally, the surface of the display forms part of the structure, and each time the message is to be changed, new panels must be constructed and then printed.
Healy, U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,591, discloses a modular sign system that employs a curved display surface that produces greater visual impact. However, the structure itself does not lend itself to large-scale displays incorporating higher order curved surfaces.
Similarly, Lanier, U.S. Pat. No. 6,276,084, discloses a sign adapted to be anchored to the ground for applications such as outdoor real estate advertising, and employs a horizontally-curved surface. In this design, the size of the display is limited to relatively small signs since the panel must be somewhat stiff in order to provide some rigidity to the assembled unit.
Volpe, U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,180, describes a temporary display for advertising soon-to-be-released movies or DVD's where a “life size” cutout of the lead character is often utilized. The display includes an S-curved shape in the horizontal axis, though the vertical axis is not curved. The display is built of one piece, shipped flat and assembled on-site by following fold lines. However, the display is to be constructed of inexpensive paperboard or printed cardstock, providing only enough strength to support itself. It is thus a “one time use” display which would be thrown away after use.
Based on the state of the art, as shown in part by the aforementioned examples, there is a need for a lightweight, easily assembled, visually pleasing display system that can be broken down into components small enough for shipment via express freight delivery services.